


It'll Work Out in the End

by GinnyGinger



Category: Pirates of the Caribbean (Movies)
Genre: Family, Father-Son Relationship, Gen, post potc 5, things are kinda weird, until theyre not
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-30
Updated: 2017-05-30
Packaged: 2018-11-06 23:58:24
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,213
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11047038
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GinnyGinger/pseuds/GinnyGinger
Summary: Henry thought getting his father back would be the best thing that ever happened in his life. And if was for a bit. But then life caught up with them, things settled down, and how do you build a relationship with your father, thats not based around chasing after myths and legends





	It'll Work Out in the End

**Author's Note:**

> Just something silly I thought of after coming home from the cinema. They would have to adjust, and it would take time.

I had been some weird months. Some very weird months, if that was the right word for it. Four, to be exact. Henry had never, in his entire life, been around his father for that long amount of time, and thus it had turned out to be yes, some weird months. 

The first few days were fine. He had told his parents his story, about his and Carina's adventure and Carina had been there then. She had stayed with his family for a few weeks, in their house in the little town Elizabeth had eventually settled down in. But then she left. She got a job at a library in the next port and a small room to go with it. So then it was just Henry and his parents, and the story was told and  _what_  exactly to talk about now.

It had been easier, in a way, that one day with his father when he was nine. Because they only had one day, and he had been younger, more eager for his fathers affection. Well, he still was really, just not as likely to show or ask for it. 

And he had never, never in his eighteen year long life, except for one day, been outnumber by parental units, a sensation he sometimes liked, usually not. He had perhaps run a bit to fast through the house one day and a knocked over a vase. For the first time in his life he had to sets of disapproving eyes on him and he found he didn't like it. It had perhaps been then things had started to go wrong. 

Yes, he had always wanted his father to come home, and to stay home. But he and Will were walking a fine line between father and son, and merely being friends. After Carina had left, when things started to calm down and get back to normal, it became clear that it was more to having a father than just listening to stories and telling his own. It meant disapproving looks and loving smiles. Stern reminders and proud comments. It meant having another person to admire, answer to, obey and love. A dynamic Henry and his mother had worked to a perfection. Him and his father, not so much. 

Will was back working as a blacksmith, and had used all the time he could spare between other work to make a sword for his son. A proper one. One made just for Henry and Henry alone. They had practiced whenever they could, Will showing the boy more efficient ways to fight, how to deflect, how to make yourself as small target as possible. Trained his balance, his accuracy and his ability to react and while all that may seems like perfect father and son bonding, it had almost the opposite effect. 

The small breach that neither knew how to cross was still there, and during these sword lessons, Henry felt his father was more of a teacher, not even a mentor. Just giving remarks and praise when it was due. 

The day Henry had mastered a maneuver he had struggled with for a while was the perfect example. In one short, blessed second, he had been so happy he was close to jumping into his fathers arms with a victorious scream, yearning to hug the man he admired so much, something he hadn't done since saying goodnight to him on Will's first night home. 

He hadn't hugged his father though, thank the gods. He quickly remembered what their relationship had been limited to, by none other but themselves. Instead he had accepted the pat on the back on their way inside, and pretended it meant something deeper. 

And so he was sitting on the porch to their little back garden, where his father taught him how to fight, where they had lied on the grass long past midnight, just looking at the stars in the early days of their reunion. Where his father probably would have taught him how to throw a ball when he was four, had he only been there. 

From inside the house, he could hear his mother cooking dinner, her voice chatting away with his father, their giggles and laughs and even sneezes mingling together in a perfect match. It was so easy for them. They just picked up where they left off. Sharing jokes and kisses and memories and thoughts and some other things he did not want to think about. They had been best friends almost their entire lives and Henry was hit with a sudden realization that he didn't really know his father at all. Not past the stories he knew almost by heart anyway. 

The sounds went quiet for a bit, and Henry hoped his father had just been sent away to wash up before dinner, the alternative was just to weird to think about. He had never seen his mother with a man, only that one day so many years ago. Kissing shouldn't really gross an eighteen-year old out, but i did a bit. She was his mother for god sake. 

Then, footsteps behind him, to heavy to be her, told him he had been wrong  either way. 

"Your mother wants you to set the table" 

Henry almost laughed. His mother wanted him to set the table, not Will. Never Will. All commands and punishments and anything parent like came from his mother. Never, ever, did his father, for all his bravery, dare to cross that bridge. Henry wished he would. 

"Yeah, I'm coming" he said with a sigh, not at least enthusiastic. Teenagers generally weren't with chores. 

He could feel his father's eyes burning into the back of his neck. Too bad he didn't also feel the concern or love, or the hopeful wish they might some day have the same easy affection and proper familial relationship Henry shared with his mother.

"You okay?" Will said and sat down beside him. Henry just gave a shrug and continued not looking at his father. 

"You miss her?" his father asked, and Henry actually had to think twice about whom Will was asking about. 

Then he just shrugged again. Carina had been a good friend on the sea, a little crush perhaps, but not a long lost love that he would go running after. He felt a warm, big, calloused hand settle on the nape of his neck. Henry wished it was a proper hug.

"Do you want to talk about whatever it is?" 

Henry didn't answer, just stared ahead, wishing his father could go away before he let anything of his childish thoughts slip. 

"Is it about me?" 

Still he didn't say anything, but the way his shoulders stiffened and his eyes went down to examine his finger nails instead told his father all he needed to know. The warm hand slipped away, Henry felt cold without it. 

"I'm sorry, lad" his father said. "You're entire life you wanted me to come home, but I turn out to be pretty horrible excuse for a father dont I?" 

Henry looked up sharply at the man beside him, but Will wasn't looking back. He too had taken to staring at the garden. 

"Not horrible"  Henry murmured lamely "just..." 

"Just not good?" Will look back down on him, a hint of sadness and perhaps longing in his eyes. Henry shook his head quickly. 

"No, you're fine. You've been doing fine, all things considered. It's just I don't know what to talk about or how to act and it's all just..." he trailed off, not knowing how to phrase the actual problem. 

"Just what?"

"I don't know. I don't really understand whats bothering me so much. I just know that we're kinda walking on egg shells around each other, and I have no idea how to talk to you. Like, I got one tale and I've told it, it's not like I got hundreds of adventures to talk about like you. But you never really engage in anything, except when you teach me how to fight. And even then you don't really say much. Usually it's just standing behind Ma mimicking exactly what she does. And I worry, sometimes, because what if I'm not good enough, what if you figure out that this family is not really a family so you pack up and leave for the sea again, that it's too late to build a proper relationships so why start now - "

"Henry" 

"Or you stay, but the gap thats already there still remains and I'll live my entire life not really being close to - "

"Henry" 

"- you, and if you have more kids, then you'll love them, and I know you love me too, but it's easier to bond with a baby and then what happens if - "

"Henry!" The big, warm hand was back at his neck, still comforting but also a reminder to  _shut up_. He stopped his little tirade and look up at his father who had scooted closer. A few more inches and it would almost be a one armed hug. 

"Henry, none of that will happen" His father's voice was calm and gentle, but his dark eyes looked so intensely down on him he couldn't make himself look away.  

"Listen to me now. Knowing that I had a son waiting for me, knowing that Elizabeth and I had been blessed with a child even though I had to be away at sea, it was one of my greatest joys. I didn't want to you to get lost in all the magic and power the sea holds, I didn't want you to suffer the same fate as I did, so I begged you and all the gods willing to listen to stay away from it. But you broke the curse, and I am finally home where I belong and you are still one of the greatest joys of my life"

Will rubben his thumb in small, slow circles at the back of Henry's neck. 

"I do love you, lad. And I promise it will get better. I just have to work on this father thing a bit more, but never doubt how dear you are to my heart, never think that you need exciting tales to talk to me, never believe that I will leave you. If I ever go back to the sea then it's because you and mother are going with me. And Henry, least of all, don't worry about the sibling thing. Thats far away."

"Well, you didn't really plan me, did you?" Henry pointed out with half a smile. 

His father didn't answer right away. Instead, finally, he slipped his hand from Henry's neck and down to his shoulder on the opposite side, drawing his son even closer and placed a kiss to his suddenly bowed head. 

"Sometimes plans change and it's completely for the better" he said. 

Henry looked up at that and gave a genuine smile. His mother had always told that he was not a mistake, he was a surprise. When he was younger he had secretly thought that a baby was a pretty poor excuse of a surprise, but maybe when your one love is doomed to sail the seven seas with only one day on land every decade, perspectives change. 

"Tell you what" Will said more brightly and rubben his son shoulder. "Come with me to work tomorrow, test out some of the swords I have made, check if the balance is good if you will. I can take half of the day off and we'll go do something after. Just you and me" 

Henry's eyes brighten at the idea and he sat up a little bit straighter. The idea of a day, only him and his father, doing whatever they wanted to, was quite a new prospect for him, but one he really, really liked.

"We can go to the docs and look at the boats"  he said grinning. 

"Aye, we can" 

"We can go swimming in the pools behind the hill" 

"Aye, we can" 

"We can find all the books about the sea in the library and point out everything they've gotten wrong" 

"Aye, that we definitely can" 

Henry smiled up at his father and Will smiled even wider back. Inside he heard his mother still cooking, and he wondered for a bit how long she was willing to wait before she sat the table herself, only to give Henry a stern glare after. But then he refocused on his father's eyes and forgot his train of thoughts.

They would be okay, he realized. They would work out their dynamic, they would grow into their roles as father and son. He just needed to tell his father what he wanted, his father just needed to adjust to a domestic family life. 

"I love you, Da" Henry said. Will's smile got even wider as he leant forward to kiss his son's head again. 

"I love you too, lad" he said as he pulled away. They enjoyed a few moments of silence, sitting together side by side,  just being father and son. Then the calm air was suddenly pierced by voice from the kitchen.

"Henry William!"

"You better get inside." Will said with a grin "Your mother and I _both_  want you to set the table."  


End file.
